Luxury resorts in Los Cabos: what each one is known for, how far it is from the marina, and the yacht to match

The luxury resorts of Los Cabos with verified recognition include One&Only Palmilla and Grand Velas, both rated Five-Star by Forbes Travel Guide; Esperanza, with its AAA Five Diamond rating; The Cape, with One MICHELIN Key; and Waldorf Astoria Pedregal, which Travel + Leisure named the best resort in Mexico in 2019 under its earlier name. They are spread from Pedregal, next to downtown Cabo San Lucas, to the hotel zone of San José del Cabo, between about 3 and 30 minutes from Marina Cabo San Lucas without traffic. If you are staying at one, the yachts that match are our largest: the McKinna 70, the Azimut 70 and the Sea Ray 65.

We are an independent booking agency with no affiliation to any of these hotels. Everything below about each hotel comes from our hotel guides, with sources.

The nine resorts at a glance

Distances are in a straight line from the hotel to the nearest boarding dock in the marina, with drive time without traffic. At rush hour the drive takes longer.

Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal

Waldorf Astoria Pedregal is the luxury resort closest to the marina: 0.6 km in a straight line and about 3 minutes by car without traffic. It sits on the Pacific side of Cabo San Lucas, and the only way in by car is the Dos Mares tunnel, 300 meters long, built for the resort.

It opened in 2009 as Capella Pedregal, became The Resort at Pedregal in 2014, and in September 2019 Hilton turned it into the first Waldorf Astoria in Mexico. That same year, before the conversion, Travel + Leisure named The Resort at Pedregal the best resort in Mexico (Houstonia). The beach is open Pacific coast; the hotel's official sources don't say whether it's safe for swimming, so ask before you go in.

From here the marina is almost next door. A late-afternoon charter on the Sea Ray 40 or one of the 70-footers fits easily around dinner at the resort.

The Cape, a Thompson Hotel

The Cape opened on June 29, 2015, as Thompson Hotels' first property in Mexico, with 161 rooms on Monuments Beach. Mexican architect Javier Sánchez designed it, and ceramicist José Noé Suro made the hand-painted floor tiles. A life-size whale made of salvaged driftwood hangs in the lobby. The Michelin Guide lists the hotel with One MICHELIN Key (Michelin Guide).

Monuments Beach is a surf break for experienced surfers, so guests swim in the two pools. The marina is 4.4 km away in a straight line, about 16 minutes by car without traffic.

Esperanza, Auberge Collection

Esperanza opened in 2002 on the cliffs of Punta Ballena, named for a point shaped like a whale's tail. It was Auberge's first resort outside the United States. In June 2017 it announced its first AAA Five Diamond rating, for 2018, after receiving the Forbes Five-Star award twice (Auberge), and the hotel lists itself as a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hotel for 2026. In June 2012, during the G20 summit in Los Cabos, President Barack Obama met Vladimir Putin here, according to official White House photo captions.

The two coves below the resort are private but not for swimming, so guests use the pools. The marina is 6.1 km west in a straight line, about 14 minutes without traffic. We confirm Esperanza's transfer zone when you book.

Nobu Hotel Los Cabos

Nobu sits on the Pacific inside the gated Diamante community, 7.6 km from the nearest boarding dock in a straight line and about 18 minutes without traffic. Chef Nobu Matsuhisa and Robert De Niro, two of the three co-founders of Nobu Hospitality, opened it with a sake ceremony on November 13, 2019. It has 200 rooms with wooden soaking tubs and closet doors inspired by shoji screens.

Nobu's own FAQ says the ocean in front can be unsafe for swimming because of strong currents and drop-offs, so guests walk the beach and swim in the four pools. Diamante is the farthest transfer zone: an Escalade costs USD 170 cash (179 by card) one way or USD 200 cash (210 by card) round trip.

Montage Los Cabos

Montage opened in spring 2018 on Santa María Bay, on land that was once the Hotel Twin Dolphin (1977 to 2006). It has 122 rooms and suites in low buildings of four units each, and Forbes Travel Guide calls its 40,000 square foot spa the largest on the Baja California peninsula (Forbes Travel Guide).

Montage is one of the few resorts on this list with a swimmable beach. Santa María Bay is a horseshoe of sand with calm, clear water and Blue Flag certification. It is also one of our snorkel stops by boat. Santa María is closed for snorkeling as of October 10, 2026, with reopening expected in November; until then, our snorkel trips go to Pelican Rock, by the Arch. The marina is 10.8 km away, about 17 minutes without traffic.

Grand Velas Los Cabos

Grand Velas is an all-inclusive, all-suite resort on the corridor that opened officially on December 20, 2016. Every suite faces the Sea of Cortez, and Forbes Travel Guide rates the resort Five-Star. Its restaurant Cocina de Autor received one MICHELIN star in the first MICHELIN Guide to Mexico, announced in May 2024 (Velas Resorts).

The building's curved, sail-like lines are a nod to the owners' surname, Vela. Playa El Tule in front is rocky, and Forbes suggests swimming in the three infinity pools. The marina is 15.2 km away, about 22 minutes without traffic.

Las Ventanas al Paraíso, A Rosewood Resort

Las Ventanas opened in 1997, and much of it is handmade: cedar suite doors carved in Guadalajara, pebble sunburst headboards set by master tilers from Mexico City, raised-pebble walkways laid by local artisans. At checkout, every guest receives a hand-blown glass heart from a tree in the lobby.

The resort has eight pools, and Forbes doesn't say whether the sea in front is safe for swimming. The marina is 17.8 km in a straight line, about 21 minutes without traffic.

One&Only Palmilla

Palmilla began in the 1950s as a 15-room retreat built by Abelardo "Rod" Rodríguez, son of a former president of Mexico, and his wife, Hollywood actress Lucille Bremer. In its first years you could reach it only by private plane or by yacht. Today it has 174 rooms, and Forbes Travel Guide rates it Five-Star (Forbes Travel Guide). Rooms come with binoculars for spotting whales in season.

Forbes Travel Guide describes its beach as one of the few swimmable beaches in the region, and Playa Palmilla next door has Blue Flag status. The marina is 24.2 km away in a straight line, about 29 minutes without traffic.

Viceroy Los Cabos

Viceroy is in the San José del Cabo hotel zone. Architect Miguel Ángel Aragonés designed it, and it opened in 2016 as Hotel Mar Adentro, built around a large reflecting pool. Viceroy relaunched it in May 2018 with 194 rooms, suites and villas. Its restaurant Nido sits in the middle of the reflecting pool, under a nest of bent steel rods woven with mangrove twigs.

The hotel doesn't say whether the sea in front is safe for swimming; Zofemat raises red flags on San José beaches when the surf is high, so check the flag. The marina is 28.1 km away in a straight line, about 30 minutes without traffic, the longest drive of the nine.

Which yacht matches a five-star stay?

Our three largest yachts each fit a different kind of day. Prices are per boat with 16% IVA tax included; a 15% crew tip is suggested and not included.

The McKinna 70 is the one to pick if the food matters as much as the view. It carries a crew of five, including a chef who cooks a multi-course menu on board, with welcome snacks and fresh guacamole. Four hours is USD 5,999 (MXN 113,999).

The Azimut 70 is a 70-foot flybridge with two cabins and an air-conditioned salon. Its menu on board includes fish ceviche, sashimi, beef or chicken fajitas and guacamole with chips, and it carries a paddle board and floating mat. A chef on board is available for an extra charge. Four hours is USD 5,299 (MXN 100,699).

The Sea Ray 65 is the lower-priced option, also with a 3-hour minimum. It meets you at Fisherman's Landing restaurant, by the Cabo Escape terminal, and covers the standard route: the Arch, Lover's Beach and Medano Bay. It must be back by 8 PM, when the terminal closes.

Both 70-footers board at the IGY Marina Fuel Dock, have a 3-hour minimum and can stay anchored in the bay until 10 PM after sunset. None of the three charges a dock fee. Our guide to luxury yacht charters in Cabo compares them in more detail, and the fleet page puts all 13 yachts side by side.

How do I get from a luxury resort to the yacht?

We arrange a private ride from the resort to the marina and back, priced per vehicle by zone and paid to the driver on the day: the cash price, or 5% more by card on the driver's terminal. For a group of up to 6, the Escalade costs:

For up to 12 guests on a 70-footer, the Sprinter seats up to 20. Use the hotel finder on the transportation page to check your resort's zone and every vehicle's price.

How to book a luxury charter from your resort

Tell us your resort, your group size and the date in the planner, and add the transfer if you need it. For a sunset trip from the corridor, leave the resort about an hour before departure; from Pedregal, 15 minutes is enough. We reply within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time, and you pay through a secure Stripe link once the date is confirmed in writing.

Yachts in this guide

McKinna 70Luxury motor yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $4,499 / 3 hAzimut 70Flybridge motor yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $4,199 / 3 hSea Ray 65Express motor yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $2,509 / 3 hSea Ray 40Flybridge yacht · up to 12 guestsfrom $879 / 2 h

Questions people ask

Which Los Cabos resorts are rated Five-Star by Forbes Travel Guide?

Among the resorts in this guide, Forbes Travel Guide rates One&Only Palmilla and Grand Velas Los Cabos Five-Star, and Esperanza lists itself as a Forbes Five-Star hotel for 2026. Esperanza also announced its first AAA Five Diamond rating in June 2017, for 2018.

Which luxury resort is closest to the Cabo San Lucas marina?

Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal, 0.6 km from the nearest boarding dock in a straight line and about 3 minutes by car without traffic. The Cape is 4.4 km away, about 16 minutes.

Can you swim at the luxury resorts in Cabo?

At some. Montage sits on Santa María Bay, a Blue Flag beach with calm water, and One&Only Palmilla has a swimmable beach next to Blue Flag Playa Palmilla. At Esperanza, Grand Velas and Nobu the sea in front is not for swimming, so guests use the pools.

What yacht suits a luxury resort stay in Cabo?

The McKinna 70, with a chef and a crew of five, from USD 4,499 for 3 hours, or the Azimut 70, with a menu on board and a crew of three, from USD 4,199 for 3 hours. The Sea Ray 65 starts at USD 2,509 for 3 hours.

Plan your day on the water

Pick a yacht, the hours and the food in the planner. A written reply within 2 hours, 8 AM to 8 PM Cabo time.

Check availabilitySee the fleet